Improved clothes-pin



UNTTED STATES JEREMIAH GREENWOOD, OF FITOHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM E. ARIIOLD, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVED CLO'l'l-l ES-PIN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. d, tllll, dated November 15, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that l', J EEEMIAH GREENWOOD, of Fitchburg, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Iinproved Olothescljin, of which the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an elevation of my improved clothes-pin. Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe same, showing the posit-ion ofthe wedge when raised by its rod or plunger. Fig. 3 is a section showing the manner in which the clothes are secured upon the line.

Clothes pins as ordinarily made are objec* tionable on account of their liability to become detached from the line by the shaking of the clothes, which are thus allowed to fall to the ground, and also ou account of their liability to split from the strain upon them when forced onto the line.

My invention has for its object to produce a clothes-pin which, when secured in place, will not be liable to be accidentally detached from the lines; and it consists in a wedgeshaped piece which slides up and down between thejaws of the pin and is operated by a rod or plunger passing longitudinally through its cen ter, in connection with anotch or indentation in thejaw opposite to the wed ge, by which means, when the wedge is forced down, the pin will be securely fastened or locked upon the line, thus avoiding all danger of the clothes being blown away or falling to the ground.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is the body of the pin, a b the jaws or prongs, in one of which, a, is out a notch or recess, c, for the reception of the line 7L,

c( is a rod which plays longitudinally through the body of the pin, and has at its lower end awedge-shaped piece, e, in which is cut a notch, f, and to the upper end of this rod d is attached a knob, g, which forms the head of the pin.

When the pin is to be used, it is placed over the clothes and pressed down until the line lz, with the clothes thereon, enters the notch c, the wedge e being at the saine time carried up into the position seen in Fig. 2. The wedge e is then forced down by pressure applied to the head g until the notch fis opposite to the notch c, (as seen in Fig. 3,) the jaws of the pin springing slightly to allow the portion 4 ol' the wedge to pass the line. When it is required to remove the pin, it is simply necessary to take hold of the head g and pull upon it, when the wedge e will be raised and the pin drawn from the line.

It will thus be seen that by means of the wedge e the pin may be securely locked on the line, it bein necessary to raise the wedge before it can be removed.

A clothes-pin constructed as above will not be liable to split, as it is subjected to much less strain than an ordinary pin on account ot' the clothes and line lying in the notches cf.

The wedge e may be made without the notch f, if desired, and a straight incline substituted therefor', which will serve to force the line and clothes into the notch c and retain them in place, as before. rIhe method first described, however, is that which I prefer.

ldlhat I claim as iny invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rEhe jaw a, with its notch or recess c, in conlbination with the wedge c, operated by the rod d, substantially as set forth.

JEREMIAH GREENVOOD.

Witnesses l). E. TESGHEMACHER, N.. W, SrEARNs. 

